-
2 Big Gay Book Reviews: The Celebrants, by Steven Rowley, and Big Gay Wedding, by Byron Lane
Shared from LGBTSr.comWhat better way to review two books by married writers Steven Rowley and Byron Lane than together? It’s the start of Pride month, so let’s check out these reviews from husbands Rowley and Lane. – Mark/Editor
By Terri Schlichenmeyer
The Bookworm Sez
The Celebrants, by Steven Rowley
c.2023, Putnam $28.00 308 pagesEverybody will say nice things about you when you’re lying in a box in front of them.
They’ll say you were everyone’s friend, you were funny and wise, even when you weren’t. You were the greatest person ever, just the best – and don’t you wish they’d say those things now, while you’re alive to hear them? As in the new book “The Celebrants” by Steven Rowley, those sentiments might completely surprise you.
-
On the Map: A Two-Day Getaway to Jim Thorpe (PA)
On the Map is a feature at LGBTSr highlighting travel and events of interest to readers.
By Mark McNease
It’s not surprising that so many people don’t know Jim Thorpe is a place. Named after the legendary Native American athlete, the town changed its name from Mauch Chunk when Thorpe’s widow agreed to have him re-buried here in exchange for the town being named after him.
This is our second trip here. We’d visited a couple years ago during the pandemic, and I wanted to come back when the weather was warm and things were normal – although we’ve learned that the old normal will never really return.
-
Health Beat: How Can You Tell If It’s Arthritis?
Cross-posted from LGBTSr.com
By Mark McNease
I’ve had some steady pain in my right arm for a couple years now. At first I attributed it to repetitive motion at my grocery store job, which I just retired from. But the doctor told me two years ago, when I had to be off work for two weeks because I couldn’t lift my arm above my waist, that it was probably arthritis, or a combination of the two. So how do we tell if that persistent pain in a limb or joint is arthritis?
The Signs of Arthritis
If you are over the age of 40 and are starting to notice that your joints feel stiff or painful, there is a chance that you may be developing arthritis. It can be hard to tell if these symptoms are caused by the natural aging process or something more serious, but it’s always advisable to speak to your doctor as soon as possible if you experience any of the following early signs of arthritis:
Joint Pain and Stiffness: One of the most common early signs of arthritis is joint pain and stiffness. You may notice that certain areas, such as your hands or feet, begin to hurt when you move them in certain ways. This pain can also be accompanied by a feeling of tightness or stiffness in the affected area.
-
The Twist Podcast #227 Special Edition: 3 Great Interviews with Torrey McDowell, Brenda Yang, and Lisa B. Lewis
Join co-hosts Mark McNease and Rick Rose as we offer a special edition Twist, with three separate interviews of three incredible people. Enjoy interviews with singer and songwriter Torrey McDowell, Dane County (WI) Supervisor for District 9, Brenda Yang, and Founder And Executive Director of Omnium: A Bold New Circus, Lisa B. Lewis. Fasten your headphones!
About Torrey McDowell
Singer & SongwriterWhat began as a love of choir and music in her youth ultimately blossomed into a life’s passion for artist Torrey McDowell. After picking up a songwriting habit in the second grade, it made total sense that Torrey would later earn a vocal performance scholarship at Piedmont University. Beyond the walls of academia, the Georgia-native’s musical mission became focused on healing, growth, and empowerment.
-
The Weekly Readlines May 25
The Weekly Readlines (rhymes with headlines!) is a feature at LGBTSr offering news you can use every week.
Quote for the Week: “Until a drag queen walks into a school and beats eight kids to death with a copy of ‘To Kill a Mockingbird,’ I think you’re focusing on the wrong shit.” – Wanda Sykes
BIG CUP: THE WEEK’S TOP STORIESTina Turner has died at 81, and the world mourns the loss of a great.
In hopeful signs, several Florida cities are fighting back, refusing to cancel Pride events or ban drag performers from them. Meanwhile, Target has moved some of its Pride merchandise to the back of its stores because that’s what threats of violence can make you do – and they know it.
Governor Ron “Benito” DeSantis has announced his candidacy, setting himself up as the little stuffed arcade doll Trump will soon be blasting off the shelf. Perhaps the only entertainment value in any of this?
And the country teeters once again on the verge of default, held hostage by the usual Republican suspects to the surprise of absolutely no one.
-
Rick’s Latest Listicle: Mer-Facts About Mermaids and Mermen
By Rick Rose for LGBTSr.com
Co-Host of The Twist PodcastMy best friend Leanza Cornett created and performed as the first Little Mermaid at Disney World, FL before she was crowned Miss America 1993. Recently, the live action version of the movie was released with Melissa McCarthy brilliantly playing Urusla. So here are my top 6 interesting facts about mermaids and their male counterparts.
6) The tourism board in Kiryat Yam offered a million dollars for a photo of a real mermaid. Something strange began happening in this seaside town in Israel in 2009 when one person than dozens of others reported seeing the same astonishing sight: a mermaid frolicking in the waves near the shore. Still no million has been given away.
5) How did this funny talk of man/fish begin? Scientists think that human-sized ocean animals like manatees could be the foundation of the mermaid myth. Manatees are definitely strange and mysterious creatures, and they could easily be mistaken for mermaids by someone who doesn’t know what they are. Right?
-
The Twist Podcast #226: Vigilante Samaritans, Vichy Gays, and an Interview with Stephen Dolainski
Join co-hosts Mark McNease and Rick Rose as we consider the parable of the Good Samaritan, question the motives of the Vichy gays, and speak with Guided Autobiography instructor Stephen Dolainski.
About Guided Autobiography (GAB)
Guided Autobiography is a unique form of self-reflection that encourages and assists individuals in writing their life story. It is an interactive process that provides guidance and support from an experienced facilitator who helps the participant identify meaningful moments, themes, and values in their life and create a narrative based on these reflections. It allows for individuals to take ownership of their autobiographical process, providing them with the agency to share only those aspects of their life they feel comfortable disclosing.
Guided Autobiography is beneficial for both mental and physical health. Writing one’s life story can bring about feelings of greater understanding and appreciation of oneself while helping the individual recognize how far they have come in terms of personal growth. Through this reflective exercise, participants can gain insight into how experiences from their past have shaped who they are today and how trauma or loss has impacted their lives. Additionally, it can provide a cathartic release, allowing them to express emotions that may otherwise remain unspoken.
Enjoy The Twist on Libsyn, iTunes, Stitcher, Spotify, iHeart Radio, Amazon Music, and TheTwistPodcast.com.
Copyright 2023 MadeMark Publishing
-
Lambertville and New Hope Pride: A Rainy Day in Paradise
Click for the audio version. Narration provided by WondervoxAI.
With all the efforts being made in states across the country to force LGBTQ people into silence, out of public view, re-marginalized as outlaws whose very lives are once again being made criminal, it was beyond refreshing to walk in the Lambertville (NJ) and New Hope (PA) Pride parade. It rained all day long, which didn’t dampen our spirits. It was a big, wet, glorious day.
Some thoughts on Pride
Pride for LGBTQ people is not the opposite of humility. It does not come before a fall, but after rising from the weight of discrimination and hatred. Pride is not arrogant or self-serving.
Pride, for us, is:
Learning to love ourselves and each other despite the lies we’re told about ourselves.
Learning to care for ourselves and each other, despite having been abandoned by families and institutions.
Learning to be free, and to celebrate the freedom of others, whether they are like us or not.
Learning to hear the inner voices of kindness, encouragement, and daring, until they drown out the voices of condemnation, contempt, and mockery.
Pride does not mean we’re ‘proud’ to be something we naturally are. It means we reject the rejection, the bigotry, the scorn, the ridicule, the hatred of others, the self-hatred we’re taught from pulpits and state houses and governors’ mansions and laws meant to defeat us. Pride is the conviction that we won’t be defeated, and that we have nothing to hide.
-
The Weekly Readlines May 18
Click for the audio version. Narration provided by WondervoxAI.
The Weekly Readlines (rhymes with headlines!) is a feature at LGBTSr providing news you can use every week.
BIG CUP: THE WEEK’S TOP STORIES
The terror from Tallahassee continues: Wilton Manors’ board of commissioners voted unanimously to force compliance of Florida’s anti-drag law for their upcoming Pride parade. There will be no queens on floats this year.Fallout continues from CNN’s clown hall, complete with its audience of hyenas, while right-wing extremists once known as the Republican Party celebrate it as a win.
A 3-judge panel of the 5th Circuit appears ready to reveal itself as the idealogues they are and limit or ban the use if Mifepristone. And mass shootings continued as a daily presence in American life.
-
The Twist Podcast #225: CNN’s Clown Hall Fail, Single Serve Bathrooms, and the Great American Pickleball Divide
Join co-hosts Mark McNease and Rick Rose as we torch CNN’s clown hall fail, encourage the spread of single serve bathrooms, and consider the great pickleball debate tearing the country apart.
Enjoy The Twist on Libsyn, iTunes, Stitcher, Spotify, iHeart Radio, Amazon Music, and TheTwistPodcast.com.
Copyright 2023 MadeMark Publishing
-
LGBTSr Now Includes Audio Versions of All Posts to Better Serve Readers (and Listeners!)
Click to hear audio version. Narration provided by WondervoxAI.
If you’re like me and your eyes aren’t always in the mood to focus properly, audio can be a way to make things more accessible. This is certainly true of those of us into our 60s and beyond. I’ve heard from readers who are visually impaired, or who have trouble reading fonts. Now I can offer them something that makes LGBTSr inclusive of our readers, and our listeners, too!
Every post, article, and news item will include an audio version. Simply click on the audio file at the top of each item, and enjoy the narration. I’m currently using my own venture, WondervoxAI, to provide the voices. The technology is exciting for a tech nerd like me, and the opportunities it offers to be more efficient and provide more service to various audiences is pretty amazing.
Fasten your headphones!
-
Springing Into Joy: It’s Time To Plant Your Garden and Experience Nature’s Bounty
Click for audio version. Narration by WondervoxAI.
By Mark McNease
The arrival of spring is a welcome sight for gardeners everywhere. After the long winter months, it’s time to get outside and start planting your garden. Not only can you enjoy the beauty of nature as new plants bloom but you can also reap the rewards of fresh produce in your own backyard! Planting a garden in spring is an ideal way to celebrate the season and experience all its bounty.
One of the best parts about gardening in spring is that there are so many different types of plants that thrive during this time of year. Vegetables such as tomatoes, peppers, squash, cucumbers and beans do especially well when planted early on in springtime. Herbs like basil, thyme and oregano will add flavor to whatever dish you decide to cook up with your harvest while flowers like roses, daisies and tulips will bring vibrant colors into any outdoor space.
-
Bethlehem Steels the Show: A Day Trip to the SteelStacks, Wind Creek Casino, and the Historic Bethlehem District
Mark McNease
I had some awareness of Bethlehem, PA, mostly because of the casino, now called Wind Creek Bethlehem. But a friend recently told us about her visit to the SteelStacks, complete with a tour of the magnificent rusting behemoth of the Bethlehem Steel plant, and we decided to make a day trip of it. It’s only about a 50 minute drive from our home, so it was easy, and very well worth it. It was the perfect definition of a one-day getaway. We walked over 20,000 steps (each, not combined!), as we strolled along the walkway abutting the massive factory, headed to the casino, then back and over the river to the north side of Bethlehem. There is a south side and we’re saving that for next time!